Friday 23rd August
Race One: The Sky Bet Heritage Handicap - Class Two - One Mile, Four Furlongs - Runners: 12
A competitive looking class two handicap would kick of proceedings for day three and added to the day's theme of stamina. Last year's running would focus on the retirement of dual champion jockey Paul Hanagan, whose final ride would be unplaced in the race. Kevin Ryan's Marhaba The Champ would win the contest impressively to score for the second time at York in 2023.
Last year's winning stable would rely on Dark Moon Rising, a five year old who has a good record at York. The former course winner ran well last time when taking a solo route and getting beaten by under a length over a furlong longer. The Irish challenger Derry Lad would represent trainer Kevin Coleman and caught the eye with a strong burst into third at Epsom during the Derby festival. His latest run would be judged harshly on him as it would take place on a soft ground twelve furlongs at Galway. The evergreen eleven year old Euchen Glen would raise the roof with a win here and Jim Goldie's popular veteran was a winner earlier in the season before finishing sixth in the John Smith's Cup and a close fourth at Glorious Goodwood. The three year old Grey Cuban has been progressing well recently for the Hugo Palmer stable and made it back to back wins at Chester recently, the second of those in impressive fashion. This would be his first try at twelve furlongs though. The Alan King-trained Insanity was unable to take to hurdles, but has regained his progression since reverting to the flat. The four year old made it two wins this season after getting the better of a sustained duel with Dream Harder at Ascot. The first Ian Williams runner would be Law Of The Sea, who is a quirky sort and began the season well with a third at Chester but hasn't been as good since. Andrew Balding's Lieber Power snapped a losing run in last gasp fashion in an amateur riders' event here in July, and has run well since. He added a Racing League contest to his win tally and has been narrowly beaten in two other recent starts. The three year old Mr Monaco added some glamour into the race for trainer Ralph Beckett. The gelding galloped on strongly to win last time out at Sandown, but would be another to try this new trip for the first time. The tough Qitaal represented the Charlie Johnston stable and has finished out of the top six in just one race this season to date, including when fourth at the Dante meeting in May. The Roger Varian-trained Shadow Dance made his seasonal comeback in the boiling pot of Royal Ascot and unsurprisingly finished at the rear, but it was much more like it when finishing second behind Iron Lion at Ripon a few weeks ago. Track Of Time was a rapidly progressive sort last year when trained in France and even finished second in a listed race. Since joining the Ian Williams stable, he has finished comfortably held in three competitive handicaps. The Wathnan Racing silks would be carried by the William Haggas-trained Wafei, who broke his maiden tag by a big margin at Hamilton last month before running well when third in a valuable handicap at Glorious Goodwood.
Winner: SHADOW DANCE (#3) (Almanzor x Skyline Dancer) - J. Doyle - R. Varian
The race line up and Ian Williams's contingency would be reduced by one as Dream Harder was a morning withdrawal which left a field of twelve to go to post. Overnight rain led to the sting getting taken out of the ground and the gale force winds of the morning subsided to leave a pleasantly bright afternoon of racing.
The gates would open to start the race and immediately Grey Cuban would go to the front from his low draw and raced keenly over the first few furlongs. The big white face of Qitaal gradually tracked across from wider out and joined the three year old at the head of the field. The group would be well bunched together throughout the first half as Euchen Glen took his customary spot at the rear along with Wafei, Lieber Power and the Ian Williams pair. Grey Cuban would then test the waters down the centre of the track and separated himself from the main body of the field. His challenge began to wilt though as plenty of rivals moved up to contest the lead. On the far side rail, Dark Moon Rising kept plugging on under Tom Eaves and the old boy Euchen Glen threatened to strike, but in the middle of the pack the eye catching grey Shadow Dance nosed in front. In a driving finish, Shadow Dance fought hard as the last challenger would be Lieber Power under Oisin Murphy. Andrew Balding's gelding gained with every stride, but the line came just too soon and Shadow Dance had held on to win. Dark Moon Rising posted another good run at York while Mr Monaco stayed on at the same pace into a respectable fourth.
The winner Shadow Dance has been progressing at his own pace, but holds plenty of potential in staying races. After making his debut last year as a three year old, Roger Varian's gelding showed promise in novice company before winning for the first time on handicap debut and doing so in impressive style. He then finished a good second in a fourteen furlong handicap at Newmarket which often produces smart stayers. This season, he wouldn't be seen until Royal Ascot in the Duke of Edinburgh Handicap. Despite being well fancied, he was drawn out wide which left him with an uphill task from the word go. He would return to form last time at Ripon where he travelled smoothly into contention and looked set to win by a long way, but the unique undulations of Ripon caught him off guard and he became unbalanced, eventually losing out in the final stages. This win would be a true showing of his talents as he had to battle hard to win. With connections suggesting he could stay even further, there is a possibility he could return for the Ebor Handicap next year.
Race Two: The Weatherbys Insurance Lonsdale Cup - Group Two - Two Miles - Runners: 9
The longest Group race of the meeting would take place with the cream of the crop in the staying division coming together on the Knavesmire to resume old rivalries. The two mile contest often produces drama and excitement and the staying division has seen an upturn in quality over the past few years. Battle hardened stayers who give it their all on track are often much loved by racing fans and there have been some hugely popular former winners. The likes of Further Flight, Persian Punch and Sergeant Cecil all raised the roof in the past and in more recent times, the brilliant stayer Stradivarius would win the race a record three times. In 2023, Andrew Balding's tough Coltrane took advantage of some below par runs of his rivals to land another Group contest.
This year's running would take place with the absence of some of the best stayers in the business such as Kyprios, Trueshan and Tower Of London, but the quality on show would still live up to a high standard. An interesting contender would be Al Nayyir on his debut for Tom Clover. The six year old has been trained around the world but is improving with age. The grey Alsakib enjoyed a progressive first season last year with four wins and gained his first big prize at York in July at Group Three level in July. The Gosden runner Gregory announced himself on the staying scene with a win in last year's Queen's Vase and his fifth place in the Gold Cup was sandwiched by a pair of thirds in the Yorkshire and Goodwood Cups. Aidan O'Brien's Point Lonsdale has been a tough sort through the years and landed a deserved Group Three contest at Chester by a long margin. He would finish third at the highest level last time out. Hughie Morrison's Quickthorn is dangerous when given an easy lead as shown in the Goodwood Cup last season. The likable seven year old produced an amazing display to win this race two years ago. The Brian Ellison-trained Tashkhan is a high end handicapper who is capable of placing at the highest level. The six year old has been warming up gradually in two starts this season. Willie Mullins would be solely represented in this contest with Vauban, who has shown himself to be a high class dual purpose horse. After a fourth in the Gold Cup, he plugged on into third last time at the Curragh. Andrew Balding's Night Sparkle won four times last season before moving into Group company. She went down fighting in a Group Three here in May. Charlie Johnston's Align The Stars has improved all season and looks a stayer on the up. He has been strong at the finish in staying handicaps this season and is very well regarded ahead of this upcoming test.
Winner: VAUBAN (#7) (Galiway x Waldfest) - W. Buick - W. Mullins
The longest race of the day would get underway to a level break and the jostling for a favourable position would take place before the first bend. The Wathnan Racing-owned Gregory would bag the lead as the field went four wide into the bend away from the stands. Align The Stars would be trapped on the outside of the group from his wide stall, Night Sparkle would race keenly and Point Lonsdale calmly strode alongside the leaders. The pace would be an even one set by James Doyle as the sectional times remained consistent. Halfway down the home straight, the race began to heat up. The first to buckle would be Tashkhan who found the ground too lively as well as Align The Stars, who found the jump up to the big league coming too soon. They would be left behind, but further ahead, a grandstand finish was shaping up. As Point Lonsdale loomed large under Ryan Moore, his stamina would be tested. Questions were soon answered as he dropped out of contention and Night Sparkle joined Gregory in front. On the near side, the recognisable pink silks of Vauban travelled strongly under Will Buick and the seven year old quickened past the two leaders. As the chestnut pulled clear, the race looked to be sealed. The final challenge would come from the British debutant Al Nayyir, who emerged from behind the scenes to charge down Vauban. A three length lead soon turned into one length and the length advantage shrunk with each stride. The line came just in time for Vauban and he would land his biggest success on the flat.
The Willie Mullins-trained dual purpose star has always contained a huge amount of talent, as shown when bursting on to the scene over hurdles in 2022 and winning the Grade One Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Over hurdles, he would accustomed to seeing the tail of stablemate State Man in the top Irish hurdle races, so he reverted to the flat last year with a devastating performance off top weight in a Royal Ascot handicap. After picking up a Group Three along the way, he flew out to Australia for the world renowned Melbourne Cup. He would be strongly fancied for the race, but was a big disappointment on the day. This season, he made his first visit to York in the Yorkshire Cup in May, but after travelling well he found little under pressure. He then failed to last the distance in the Ascot Gold Cup before being comfortably held at the Curragh last time. He has been called names in the past, but as today showed, when the real Vauban turns up, he can be a top class stayer.
Race Three: The Al Basti Equiworld Gimcrack Stakes - Group Two - 2-Y-O Only - Runners: 10
The Gimcrack Stakes is often viewed as a contender for race of the meeting as the quickest and best juveniles in the country do battle in this historic contest. The six furlong event helps to filter the very best from the very good sprinters and in recent years, many Gimcrack winners have gone on to perform at the highest level in the future.
Throughout the race's long and fruitful history, the likes of Mill Reef, Royal Applause and Rock of Gibraltar have all been exceptional winners in the past, but in more recent times, the country's leading sprinters of the past decade have also landed the Gimcrack. Blue Point, Muhaarar, Emaraaty Ana, Minzaal and Astaire all picked up this Group Two race before adding Group One success later in their career. In 2023, the field was slightly below standard, but it didn't stop the William Haggas-trained Lake Forest from battling hard and winning on just his third start.
The Karl Burke-trained Andesite held a big reputation at home before winning on debut here back in May. He was an agonising withdrawal on the morning of Royal Ascot, so had the chance to remind everyone of his class. Mick Appleby's Big Mojo was clearly well thought of at home as he was pitched straight into group company at Goodwood following a debut second. He duly delivered with a win in the Molecomb Stakes over a furlong shorter. Eve Johnson Houghton's Billboard Star looked a smart prospect when winning his maiden at Newmarket and has since improved further with a second in the July Stakes back over the same course. The rising stable of Jack Jones would gain their biggest win yet when Caburn dropped in trip to win the Super Sprint at Newbury. The speedy colt has already won over six furlongs so looked a contender here. Aidan O'Brien's Camille Pissarro was an expensive yearling and made an impressive winning debut in May. He would be outdone by the draw at Royal Ascot, but returned to form in the Anglesey Stakes. Andrew Balding's Cool Hoof Luke took a while to warm up on debut, but flew home to win first time out before running a belter at Royal Ascot to finish fourth in the Coventry, beaten less than a length. Trainer Kevin Ryan has won this race three times since 2010 and this year's representative would be King's Call, who knew his job well on debut and looked exciting when powering to an impressive win at Ayr. He would then be outpaced in the Molecomb last time at Goodwood. Godolphin's Shadow Of Light is unsurprisingly well bred for the operation and Charlie Appleby's colt has made the perfect start to racing. After an impressive debut win, he contined his progress with a second win at Newmarket. Malton based trainer Symbol Of Strength took on the big guns and after finishing fifth on debut, he was strong at the finish over five and a half furlongs. This would be a big step up in class though. The Strikin Vikin produced one of the most impressive debut wins of the season at York in June when trained by Kevin Ryan and followed it up with a Group Two second. After that, he was purchased by Wathnan Racing under the care of Hamad al Jehani and the colt ran well in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.
Winner: COOL HOOF LUKE (#6) (Advertise x Dutch Monument) - O. Murphy - A. Balding
A top class renewal of the Gimcrack would get underway and from the outset, the pace would be strong. The five furlong winner Big Mojo would force the pace along with fellow front runner King's Call. They would be joined by The Strikin Viking and Andesite, who both raced a shade keenly in the opening stages. The field checked off the furlong poles at a rapid pace and soon the race was entering its final stages. As some began to make their challenge, there would be some scrimmaging. Billboard Star and the weakening Andesite would suffer interference, ended any small chance they had of winning. Big Mojo was able to keep up the gallop and disputed the lead inside the final furlong as Symbol Of Strength was running a big race. The light blue silks of Cool Hoof Luke would time his challenge to perfection and kicked on in the final furlong under Oisin Murphy. Godolphin's Shadow Of Light would get going too late, but chased in vain as the race would go to the Andrew Balding stable. Back in third, Symbol Of Strength did his stable proud with a massive effort, finishing just ahead of Big Mojo and the staying on Caburn.
The winner Cool Hoof Luke had plenty of strong form to his name, but the starting odds of 8-1 backed up how strong the race was. The son of Advertise quickened well in the final stages to win narrowly on debut at Kempton at the start of June before showing his talent at Royal Ascot just twelve days later. After racing keenly and leading the stand's side group, he would finish a length behind the winner in a blanket finish to return fourth. That would show his Group race aspirations and next up would be a trip to Glorious Goodwood, for the Vintage Stakes over seven furlongs. Again running too keenly, he would only weaken in the final stages to finish third behind the smart Aomori City. The drop back to six furlongs and change in tactics produced this winning effort as he relished the strong early pace. The colt is a distant relative to a few horses in Italy who performed well over a mile which offers hope for the future, but for now Cool Hoof Luke can lay claim to being one of the best juveniles in the country this year.
Race Four: The Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe Stakes - Group One - Five Furlongs - Runners: 12
The third day of the Ebor Festival is an exciting blend of speed and stamina and following the stayers in the Lonsdale Cup, it would be the turn of the rapid sprinters in the Nunthorpe Stakes. The five furlong contest on this flat course is often a great spectacle as runners hurtle from stalls to stands in just under a minute.
The Group One contest has produced some memorable performances in its long history, including the golden 90's era of Pivotal, Dayjur and Lochsong to the 2000's with Mozart, Oasis Dream and the locally trained Borderlescott. In recent years, there has been a developing theme of multiple winners of this race. The mercurial Sole Power won this in 2010 and 2014 and the rapid Battaash blitzed his rivals in 2019 and 2020. The past two renewals have seen the underdog shine as in 2022, the non stop improver Highfield Princess landed an emotional victory for Yorkshire and the speedy Live In The Dream made every yard of the running to stun the crowd and win for the small scale trainer Adam West.
There would be plenty of familiar faces in the line up as the very best sprinters in Britain, Ireland, Europe and even further away met in the middle. The Archie Watson-trained Bradsell won on his debut here two years ago and became a dual Royal Ascot winner last year by winning the King's Stand Stakes. The four year old finished third in this race last year and made a smooth return to action by winning a French listed race recently. The Robert Cowell-trained Clarendon House has been a classy operator over the past few seasons and has found his form again recently. Following a top weight handicap victory here in May, he was an easy winner at listed level at Cork. There would be a first ever Czechia-trained runner at York as the top European sprinter Ponntos made the trip to Yorkshire. The six year old has been in flying form this year at Group Two level. Kevin Ryan's latest sprinting star Washington Heights has developed into a high class six furlong horse and dropped to the minimum trip for the first time since winning as a two-year-old. Mick Appleby's Big Evs was a rags to riches story last year which ended in Breeders Cup success as a two-year-old. The speedball made a strong winning comeback here in May and reversed form with Asfoora in an epic finish to the King George Stakes at Glorious Goodwood. The Ralph Beckett-trained Starlust has some smart form to his name and was an emphatic winner of a handicap here in May. He has shown to appreciate this minimal trip more than six furlongs. Australia are regular producers of brilliant sprinters and Afsoora became the latest one after showing a devastating change of gear to win the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot. She was unsuited by Goodwood's undulations last time but went desperately close behind Big Evs. Michael Dods won this race twice in succession with the brilliant mare Mecca's Angel and his current female star is the Group Two winner Azure Blue. The mare has gradually returned to her best following injury and dead-heated for first in a listed race last time out. George Boughey's filly Believing finished fourth in both premier sprint races during Royal Ascot before easily landing an Irish Group Two. She then confirmed her improvement with a close third to Big Evs and Afsoora. The Ed Walker-trained Makarova benefitted from a strong pace to finish fourth in this race last year and has the ability to run well in similar conditions. Irish based So Majestic would be another seismic shock winner based on current form, but her last three races have seen her finish in the placings in listed races. The attractive roan filly Frost At Dawn spent time out in Dubai at the start of the year and impressively won a Group Three at this trip. She hadn't been seen since the Al Quoz Sprint in March.
Winner: BRADSELL (#1) (Tasleet x Russian Punch) - H. Doyle - A. Watson
There would be bitter disappointment for connections of Live In The Dream who was found to have a stone bruise on the morning of the race and therefore unable to defend his title this year. He was joined on the non-runner's list by fellow Group One winner Regional. Their absences would be noticeable, but the remainder were still high class horses in their own right.
Much of the pre-race talk regarded the likely early pace and the course record time being in danger. With so many fast horses in the race, all eyes would be on the clock. The quickest race of the week would get underway and from the start, Clarendon House would leave the gates very slowly and fluff his lines on the big day. The group would surprisingly split in two halves as jockeys remained unsure of where the best place would be. The larger group opted for the centre as Big Evs, Washington Heights and Asfoora all took each other on with Believing latching onto the tail of the pack. Over on the far side, the speedy Ponntos blazed a trail on his own and Hollie Doyle allowed Bradsell to use the slipstream of the Czech runner. As the horses thundered towards the stands, Bradsell took up the overall lead. With a strong burst of acceleration, the four year bolted clear inside the final furlong. The near side group looked in trouble as Believing would also surge forward to bridge the gap. The race had already been sealed as Archie Watson's speedster landed his second win at the highest level. Believing would be outdone by the draw bias, but finished a close second as the York specialist Starlust took third. Asfoora would end her stay in Britain with a solid fourth place, but Big Evs was unable to dominate and disappointed in the race for the second year in a row.
In a race that would be talked up as the third stage of the Big Evs and Asfoora rivalry, a horse that was almost forgotten about made sure everyone remembered his name. Bradsell announced himself to the racing world with an electrifying nine length debut win on the Knavesmire in 2022 before landing the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot on his second start. Injury ended his season prematurely, but last year saw the son of Tasleet make a successful first attempt at five furlongs in the King's Stand Stakes, a second Royal Ascot victory. He would then return third in last year's Nunthorpe, a race where the leaders got too far ahead. Over the winter, he would suffer an injury that put his racing career in doubt. After some close care and gentle rehabilitation, he was nursed back to full strength and made up for lost time with a listed race victory at Deauville just nineteen days ago. The victory would pay testament to strength in the partnership of Hollie Doyle and Archie Watson, a trainer who has been supportive of her since the start of her career. Provided he can remain injury free, Bradsell will be hoping to dominate the sprint division from now on.
Race Five: The Assured Data Protection EBF Fillies' Heritage Handicap - Class Two - One MIle, Two Furlongs - Runners: 15
One of the newer contests on the bill at the Ebor Festival, this middle distance handicap for fillies and mares is another typically tough contest to solve. The nature of the race has seen some shock results on occasion and last year, the Mick and David Easterby-trained Reach held on valiantly to win for the very popular Yorkshire stable which also provided memorable celebrations on the winner's rostrum.
Top weight this year would be carried by Roger Varian's Sound Angela, who raced exclusively in listed race company throughout 2023 and performed with plenty of credit by placing in her last three starts. This would be her first start since December however. The Ralph Beckett stable won this race in 2022 and would saddle Al Anoud, a lightly raced and well bred filly who remains on the up. She would land a valuable handicap at the Glorious Goodwood festival recently. The James Owen-trained Ambiente Amigo would be another with plenty of race options to choose from and was promising juvenile last year. Despite not achieving as much as hoped this year, she has still finished third in a listed race. Last year's winner Reach would defend her crown under Jo Mason and it would see this race was always the target. The mare has finished third in a pair of handicaps over course and distance and would likely give it a good shot. David Menuisier would saddle the four year old Mysterious Love, who took advantage of an easy novice race to win her only race, but has since struggled for form recently. The four year old Bint Al Daar has won two of her last three starts for Kevin Phillippart de Foy and the run in between would be a close second to Karmology over course and distance. The Ed Walker-trained Canoodled has won at a lower level to this, but produced a career best to finish fourth in a listed race last Autumn. That would scupper her rating and she has since struggled recently. Kevin Ryan would be represented by the mare Invisible Friend, who was kept away from the track after winning a course and distance handicap in smooth style back in June. Legendary trainer Sir Michael Stoute is known for his patient approach and his filly Power Of Destiny looks likely to progress further. After winning at the third attempt, she was unlucky to not beat Al Anoud at Goodwood after suffering traffic issues mid-race. James Fanshawe would represented by the four year old Moogie, who has won three times on the all-weather to date and her best effort this year would be a second at Ascot earlier in the season. Roger Varian's Zenjabeela looked to be going the right way with two juvenile wins last year before she was tried in Group company and valuable handicaps with little success. Her latest start would be her best run this year, but it would be in an easier contest. Shemozzle would make a winning debut for the Ralph Beckett stable at the end of last year and has produced a good season so far this year. On her latest start, she would dictate the pace and win by a wide margin and moved up in class. Andrew Balding would saddle the three year old Battle Queen, who finally got off the mark in May and ran a great race into the minor placings at Royal Ascot. She then went close last time out and would step up in trip. The Newmarket based William Haggas would be hoping for another York winner with Chorus, a well bred filly with stamina in her pedigree. After bumping into some smart winners, she would win nicely herself on her most recent start over this distance. Another well bred filly would be Ed Walker's Dreamrocker, who ran well here earlier in the season before winning recently at a lower level. She too would be stepping up in trip and class.
Winner: CANOODLED (#9) (Mehmas x Fondled) - B. Loughnane - E. Walker
The race would lose some of its earlier interest as Karmology would be deemed a non runner having raced in the listed race here yesterday in which she finished second. Zarabanda would also an absentee from the race which left a field of fifteen.
The open looking contest would get away and once more positioning would prove key. Ralph Beckett's grey Shemozzle would take up the early running under Ed Greatrex, settle an average pace along the far side of the course. Her stablemate Al Anoud raced close to the pace along with Chorus, Dreamrocker and last year's winner Reach, who raced keenly. The field made their way around the home bend and Shemozzle would soon drift to her right and took the central route. On the far side rail, the remainder bunched up closer as the race entered its final stages. Al Anoud would travel strongly under Hector Crouch and the lightly raced filly looked a danger. Reach would be one of the first to be beaten as she retreated backwards while many from the rear began to scythe through rivals. Top weight Sound Angela arrived on the scene with her colourful hood along with stablemate Zenjabeela. Bint Al Daar would be another to appear in contention as Canoodled joined in. It would be the Ed Walker filly who kicked on under Billy Loughnane and the pair went clear in the final stages. Bint Al Daar would give chase, but it would be all too late as Canoodled crossed the line to cause a surprise surrounded by a muted reception. Al Anoud's challenge wilted away when she came under pressure and fourth would go the way of Zenjabeela.
It would be an unexpected success based on current form for Canoodled, whose progress has been affected by slow starts in recent times. The daughter of Mehmas produced a career best of fourth in an end of season listed race at Ascot which also saw her rating shoot up. On her latest start, she offered a better showing back at Ascot with a fifth in a lower grade handicap. She broke on level terms today and was able to travel comfortably; winning for the fifth time in her career and giving her trainer Ed Walker a third winner of the week. It would also be a landmark first winner at York for the prodigal talent Billy Loughnane, last year's teenage champion apprentice jockey and in many people's eyes, a future champion.
Race Six: The British Stallion Studs EBF Convivial Maiden Stakes - Class Two - 2-Y-O only - Runners: 20
This class two maiden often provides the chance to see a star of tomorrow as the Convivial Maiden holds the status of being the richest two-year-old maiden in Britain. Given its stature and prize money, the contest sees the more regally bred horses line up for leading stables and plenty of notebooks would open to take notes. The high quality winner would come in 2016 as Rivet landed this race before winning the Futurity Trophy later in the year. 2020 would see an easy win for Naval Crown, who went on to give Godolphin a victory in the 2022 Diamond Jubilee at Royal Ascot. A year later, Hoo Ya Mal would take this race on the way to finishing second in the following year's Epsom Derby. Twelve months ago, the race would return to the Aidan O'Brien stable as Battle Cry used his experience to win this race and has subsequently won at Group Three level.
The racecard would be headed by the Amo Racing-owned Angelo Buonarroti, who has been passed around trainers recently but was a very expensive purchase and made his debut in the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot. He would show promise with a respectable ninth in the Group Two contest. Karl Burke's Arabian Angel comes from a very smart family, including a Group Two winner and made a bright start to his career when chasing home an exciting winner at Redcar. The first newcomer would be Richard Fahey's Bambalam, who hails from a yard very capable of saddling a debut winner. He would be a half brother to a talented French filly. Another local trainer with a runner here would be Kevin Ryan with the twice raced Bowen Island. The colt went close to making a winning debut at Newcastle and wasn't beaten far in a useful contest at Haydock last time out. Mick and David Easterby would introduce the newcomer Draupnir in this hot contest and is related to some talented Godolphin owned horses. First season sire Kameko has gotten off to a flyer with his progeny and he would be represented by Fajhan, trained by Kevin Phillippart de Foy. The colt comes from the family of the outstanding mare Midday. Ismail Mohammed's Frostmagic possesses an American family but is a half brother to the stable's smart sprinter Good Effort. The Adrian Keatley-trained Goal Line showed promise on debut at Ayr recently when third behind a promising debut winner. The Johnston stable have won this contest in the past and Charlie Johnston would saddle recent runner-up High Season. The well bred colt chased home a potential Group performer on debut at Beverley just over a week ago. His stablemate Hot Dancer also finished second on debut, but on this occasion in a smaller field at Chepstow and is related to some talented sorts. Another debutant from the Mick and David Easterby stable would be the gelded Lever Up, who comes from a useful Cheveley Park Stud family. Big spending owners Wathnan Racing would be represented by William Haggas's Realign, who showed a good level of promise when finishing second on debut at Newmarket and was another to hold Group race entries. The Charlie Hills stable has been a little quiet in the juvenile division compared to other leading yards, but introduced the newcomer colt Red Admiral, a son of reliable sire Dark Angel. Another from the Newmarket training community would be George Boughey's Shah, who finished a promising second at Leicester in a race won by a smart looking prospect. The second runner for Kevin Ryan would be Sherlock, who wasn't as clued up as hoped for on debut where he came home in fifth. Andrew Balding landed this race in 2021 with a subsequent Derby runner up and would combine with the same owners in this race once again with Spirit Of Summer. The colt was left trailing by a promising winner at Newmarket, but was still clear of the third placed horse that day. Roger Varian would be another leading trainer in the contest with Ultrasoul, a colt who ran on into second at Yarmouth and the winner that day went on to win another race recently. Aidan O'Brien would look to win this race again and relied on the filly Whirl, who showed inexperience on debut at the Curragh before staying on into fourth. The Paul and Oliver Cole-trained White Chapel Road finished second on debut, but improved next time despite finishing two places lower. He would stay on steadily over six furlongs at Goodwood and moved up in trip.
Winner: ANGELO BUONNAROTI (#1) (Justify x Curlylocks) - D. Egan - R. Beckett
The field was reduced by three following the withdrawal of the newcomer Thanks Angel for the Adrian Keatley stable and Tracy Waggott's Hurricane Bea. In the moments leading up to the race, the well fancied Arabian Angel would be withdrawn in the parade ring.
The fascinating contest got underway and those with previous racing experience would come to the fore at the head of the field. The nosebanded Bowen Island set a decent pace in the early stages, just in front of Realign, Goal Line and Whirl, who was trapped out wide. Towards the rear, Red Admiral would badly miss the break and lost plenty of ground on those in front, leaving him with an impossible task. Other newcomers would race with greenness towards the back, notably Fajhan who jumped over a path shortly after the start. The pack remained on the far side and many would shuffle forward to throw their hat into the ring. The imposing Angelo Buonnaroti was always close up and travelled smoothly under David Egan. The chestnut then overtook the leader and was pushed clear into the lead and favourite backers could rest easy as the colt justified market support with a cosy length and a half win. George Boughey's Shah would emerge from the pack to chase the winner down into second while Realign wasn't disgraced in third. The filly Whirl did her best work at the finish to take fourth, looking like a horse who will be better over further in time. Others to go into the notebook would be the sixth placed Ultrasoul and seventh placed Bambalam, who both made decent late progress at the finish.
The winner has always been held in high regard almost from birth. The son of American Triple Crown winner Justify would cost owners Amo Racing $1,000,000 as a breeze up purchase last year and fills the eye physically. He would be thrown in at the deep end on his debut where he competed in the Group Two Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot over six furlongs. It would seem a very hard task, but he wouldn't drop away as expected and finished ninth of twenty-two, beaten by just three lengths. A distant relative to high class juvenile and dual Guineas winner Churchill, the winner looks a very exciting prospect.
Race Seven: The Sky Bet Mile Heritage Handicap - Class Two - 3-Y-O Only - Runners: 16
Another extremely difficult conundrum would round out day three of the Ebor Festival and the mile-long contest would see plenty of differing profiles line up. In the past, future Group One winner My Dream Boat would pick this race up for Clive Cox back in 2015 while in 2019, the very smart Pogo would win here and remains a classy sort at Group level to this day. Twelve months ago, the South African expat trainer Dylan Cunha landed a first major win in Britain in this race as Silver Sword would score comfortably.
Richard Fahey's Golden Mind is a half brother to the stable's star sprinter Perfect Power and made into a talented sort himself when third in the Chesham and fourth in the Vintage Stakes last season. This would be his first start in over a year and would carry top weight. The Eve Johnson-Houghton trained Indian Run would be another Group race performer in the line up having won the Acomb Stakes at this meeting last year. This year has seen him struggle in good races, but he would need to prove his win last year wasn't a fluke. One of the interesting lightly raced sorts would be the Roger Varian-trained Dosman. The colt made a winning return to action at the start of June before finishing third to a still undefeated horse with Group race potential. The Andrew Balding stable won this race with a progressive sort in 2018 and would run a similar type this year with Mount Teide. The gelding has improved with each run this year and his two wins have been by wide margins, including his most recent start. The royal colours of the King and Queen would make an appearance in this race with the John and Thady Gosden-trained Crown Estate. The colt has been operating at a slightly lower level, but made a return to winning ways last time out. Chris Grassick and William Muir's colt Ebt's Guard has been largely consistent this season with a sequence of first three placings. He would be another to make headway just too late after getting blocked in his run. The progressive Paborus would line up for the Ed Bethell yard and put his seasonal unbeaten record on the line. He would face this stiffer task despite winning his novice races in impressive style. The Kevin Ryan-trained Volterra showed promise when fourth on this day last year in the Convivial maiden before going on to win twice. He has recently finished down the field when strongly fancied in the betting at Newmarket and Royal Ascot. One for the William Haggas stable would be Treasure Time, who would have a legion of owners. The gelding went close to landing a competitive handicap at Newmarket, but would struggle to handle Goodwood last time out. James Owen's Usuario Amigo remains a maiden despite showing plenty of promise on debut back in April. After a short break, he would be narrowly denied at Newmarket on his latest start. Another for the local Kevin Ryan yard would be Apiarist, who landed a big sales race on the course back in October and has run well in defeat so far this season. Richard Fahey's Sailthisshipalone finished just behind Apiarist last Autumn and is another yet to win but has run well in good handicaps. His best effort this year would be a fourth against older horses over course and distance in July. The Irish trainer David Marnane would fly Tokenomics across the Irish Sea for this competitive contest and the gelding arrived in form on the back of two wins. John Butler's Zain Blue finished well to take second in the Convivial Maiden last year, but wouldn't taste success until only recently. After overcoming Cerulean Bay at Ascot, he then settled for a well held third to Mount Teide. The Eddery name has a long history in horse racing and trainer Robert Eddery would saddle the filly Madame De Sevigne. She would take on some decent sorts and perform creditably before gaining a first career win last time out at Leicester. The Tim Easterby-trained Candonomore has a couple of good runs at York with a pair of placings last season, but his recent form has a bit of a regressive look to it.
Winner: TREASURE TIME (#12) (Time Test x Penny Drops) - T. Marquand - W. Haggas
The finale would be reduced by three horses as the Wathnan Racing pair of Midnight Gun and Native Warrior would be pulled out, as well as David Evans's Blue Prince. There would also be a surprise visit from Queen Camilla in the parade ring to watch the run of the Royal runner Crown Estate.
Once again, the advantage would belong to those racing towards the front and the Kevin Ryan-trained Volterra went straight to the front from his low draw. He would be kept company by Mount Teide, Golden Mind and Zain Blue; all of whom came from inside draws. Out of those to be held up, the favourite Dosman was sighted only briefly, but he would get lost in the crowd. As the large pack made their way towards the final few furlongs, the order remained largely the same. Up front, Tom Eaves began to crank the pressure higher on Volterra and his mount responded by going into a clear lead. Mount Teide would attempt to go with him inside the final stages, but was always a stride behind his running partner in the race. As the leaders duked it out for the win, the Raceshare silks of Treasure Time began to rattle home on the side closest to the stands which produced a giant roar from the crowd. He would time his challenge to perfection under Tom Marquand and nailed the two in front of to win in by a cosy length. Volterra would be rewarded for his bold sight in front with second and Mount Teide would finish a further length behind in third. Apiarist would run another good race at York by making up most ground from the rear, doing well in a race where only a few horses were able to land a blow.
For the second day in a row after the final race, there would be a carnival-like atmosphere in the parade ring as the masses of Raceshare members filled the winner's enlosure, led by presenter Oli Bell. There would be also cause for celebration for the Yorkshire-born trainer William Haggas who saddled a first winner of this year's meeting on his birthday. The winner Treasure Time has been campaigned adventurously after winning his first race in a Newmarket handicap back in June. He would return to HQ on his next start during the July Festival where he would be just outbattled by a Godolphin-owned winner. On his latest start, he would run at the Glorious Goodwood festival, again in a competitive three-year-old handicap. This time he would be short of room at a vital moment. After finding a clearing, he would stay into fifth and not beaten far. This would be his moment in the sun as the race was run to suit him and the son of Time Test was able to give his owners a day to remember.